Climate Action Certification

The Climate Action Certification program is designed to assist you in reducing carbon emissions and assuring consumers that your products have a certified commitment to sustainable business practices and to addressing climate change.

Consumers are increasingly concerned about climate change and are looking for sustainable travel options.  Climate Action Certified operators can be easily recognised as making real efforts to address those concerns and will stand out from the crowd.

Addressing climate change is a complex issue and the Climate Action Certification program can assist you in systematically working through the many processes and approaches required.

Climate Action Certification is designed for all sectors of the tourism industry, regardless of size and level of carbon reduction already undertaken.

While the Climate Action Certification program is completely stand alone, recognition and credit is given for criteria that may be addressed in existing environmental certification programs such as ECO Certification, Green Globe and Greenhouse Challenge Plus.

The 3 levels of Climate Action Certification

Climate Action Business

Businesses have undertaken a set of adaption and emissions reduction actions but are not necessarily measuring their carbon footprint.

Climate Action Innovator

Businesses have undertaken a set of adaption and emissions reduction actions and are auditing and measuring their carbon footprint.

Climate Action Leader

Businesses have incorporated strategic climate change responses across all relevant levels of business planning and operations. They are measuring and auditing their carbon footprint via a credible system and have undertaken an advanced level of adaptation, emissions reduction and offsetting actions and are working towards becoming carbon neutral.

What are the benefits?

• Gain an understanding of climate change concepts and terminology.
• Increase your awareness of credible offsetting activities that can be undertaken.
• Learn clear and practical ways to reduce your carbon footprint through design, equipment selection and changes in operational practices.
• Take on best practice examples that are relevant to your business sector and operating environment.
• Climate Action Certification places significant attention on adaptation responses, which are vital to business planning, development and investment.
• Extended 3 year licencing  for Commercial Tour Operators to operate in SA National Parks 
• Membership with the South Australian Tourism Industry Council.

Many of the initiatives recommended in the Climate Action Certification program will provide cost savings to your business through efficiency gains.

For more information contact SATIC or visit Sustainable Tourism Australia

4 Easy Steps to becoming Climate Action Certified

Step 1 - Register

Register online

Step 2 - Log-in to Climate Action Certification Online

Log-in to the online program and complete the self assessment criteria.

Step 3 - Complete & Submit

Submit your application for independent assessment.

On successful completion of assessment you will be notified of the level of certification achieved.

Step 4 - Onsite audit

An onsite audit will be conducted with the first 2 years of applying to ensure the standards are being maintained.

Contents of the Climate Action Certification Program:

• Business Details: Outline business details, ethics and insurance policies to cover extreme natural events.

• Business Relationships and Communications: Includes details for staff, volunteers, customers and business partners, including ways to adapt new attitudes and behaviours via changes in products, services and marketing.

• Business Operations: Considers all areas of business operation including building design and redevelopment activities, energy sources, water use, waste, transport and risk management.

• Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation: Considers business vulnerability to extreme natural events caused by climate change and how you adapt to minimise the impact of climate change on your business.

• Reducing Greenhouse Emissions: Considers overall emissions assessment of your business, ways to reduce emissions (without any formal assessment) and looks at emissions offsetting activities.

• Innovative Best Practice: Additional points towards the advanced levels of certification can be gained via a demonstration of innovative best practices above and beyond the criteria used in this program.

For more information contact SATIC  or visit Sustainable Tourism Australia 

Climate Action Fees

Climate Action Certification fees are based on your business' gross annual turn over.

Fees remain the same regardless of the level of certification you achieve.

For more information contact SATIC  or visit Sustainable Tourism Australia 

Climate Action Certified Operators

	Climate Action Leaders Businesses have incorporated strategic climate change responses across all relevant levels of business planning and operations. They are measuring and auditing their carbon footprint via a creditable system and have undertaken an advanced level of adaptation, emissions reduction and offsetting and are working towards becoming carbon neutral.   Bellevue Bed and Breakfast Birds Australia, Gluepot Reserve Tanonga Luxury Eco Lodges
	Climate Action Innovators Businesses have undertaken a set of adaption and emissions reduction and are auditing and measuring their carbon footprint.  All Seasons Kangaroo Island Lodge Banrock Station Gawler Ranges Wilderness Safaris Hannah's Cottage Kangaroo Island Wilderness Retreat McLaren Vale Motel Nuccaleena Cottage Nullarbor Traveller Seppeltsfield Vineyard Cottage Sinclair's Gully
	Climate Action Businesses Businesses have undertaken a set of adaption and emissions reduction actions but are not necessarily measuring their carbon footprint. Adventure Tours Australia Group Exceptional Kangaroo Island Jacob's Creek Visitor Centre Kangaroo Island Seafront Resort Kangaroo Island Odysseys Narnu Farm Old Timers Mine Rawnsley Park Station

For more information contact SATIC  or visit Sustainable Tourism Australia 

Climate Change Information

• Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency - Australian Government website, useful tools and resources as well as practical information relating to industry and business.

• Carbon Footprint  – a FREE online emissions calculator suitable for small organisations.

• Tackling Climate Change in South Australia - South Australian Government website, highlights the State's commitment to tackling climate change, including links to South Australia's Greenhouse Strategy and the Government's Action Plan to 2012.

• Draft Climate Change Adaptation Framework for South Australia [2.4MB PDF] (December 2010) - The first step to developing a coordinated and integrated response to climate change in South Australia.  

• Climate Change Guide: Mitigation and Adaptation Measures for Australian Tourism Operators (June 2009) - This guide is your first step to becoming aware of what part you can play in reducing your carbon footprint and understanding how climate change is likely to affect your tourism business.

• The Impacts of Climate Change on Australian Tourism Destinations: Developing adaptation and response strategies (August 2009) - This report provides a complete summary of the report, which has been undertaken by Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC). The goal of the project was to build a framework to inform and prioritise adaptation strategies which can be undertaken by destinations and tourism businesses. To do this, the climate change vulnerability of each destination was assessed, with a focus on the potential impacts on tourism infrastructure, activities and operational costs. Summary chapters highlighting key research, findings and recommendations for each of the case study regions.

• Tourism and Climate Change - a framework for action (July 2008) - This framework aims to assist the tourism industry to build its resilience and capacity to adapt to climate change impacts and to prepare for a carbon constrained future.